Service order system and user interface for use in healthcare and other fields

Abstract

A system provides a user interface display allowing clinicians to perform computerized treatment order entry by concurrently applying multiple strategies for placing computerized orders for a specific patient. A system provides a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient. The system includes a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a hierarchical sequence of display images. The display images include a first menu of display items enabling a user to select an initial set of services for order from predetermined candidate sets of services, in response to first criteria. The display images also include a second menu of display items enabling a user to select a service to add to the initial order set from a set of orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined order set. An order processor initiates ordering of the orders in the combined order set in response to user command.

1 . A system for providing a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient, comprising: 
 a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a single composite display image including, 
 a first area presenting data items representing an initial set of user selected services,  
 a second area presenting data items representing candidate services to add to said initial set from a set of candidate orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined set, and  
 a third area presenting data items representing orders of said combined set; and  
   an order processor for initiating ordering of said orders in said combined set in response to user command.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said single composite display image includes an area enabling a user to, 
 initiate a search to identify an individual order for a service and  
 add said identified service to said combined order set.  
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , including 
 a processor for creating and storing a new set from said combined set, in response to user command.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , including 
 a processor for creating and storing a new set from a combination of said initial set and orders associated with a healthcare provider organization department, in response to user command.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said data items representing candidate services displayed in said second area are automatically selected from a plurality of sets of services associated with a predetermined sequence of healthcare provider organization departments based on a current navigation position in said predetermined sequence.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said candidate services displayed in said second area include an individual service associated with a particular healthcare provider organization department in response to user selection of a department sub-category identifier.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein 
 said candidate services displayed in said second area are automatically selected from a plurality of sets of services associated with a predetermined sequence of healthcare provider organization departments based on a user determined navigation position in said predetermined sequence.    
     
     
         8 . A system for providing a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient, comprising: 
 a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a hierarchical sequence of display images including at least one image incorporating, 
 a first menu of display items enabling a user to select an initial set of services for order from predetermined candidate sets of services, in response to first criteria, and  
 a second menu of display items enabling a user to select a service to add to said initial order set from a set of orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined order set; and  
   an order processor for initiating ordering of said orders in said combined order set in response to user command.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said set of orderable services associated with said healthcare provider organization department comprise a set of predetermined services associated with at least one of, (a) admission, discharge or transfer, (b) allergies, (c) nursing, (d) diet, (e) sleep, (f) laboratory testing, (g) radiology and (h) medication.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein 
 said set of orderable services associated with said healthcare provider organization department is selected from a plurality of sets of orders associated with a particular healthcare provider organization department in response to user selection of a department sub-category identifier.    
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein 
 said set of orderable services comprises an order for an individual service associated with a particular healthcare provider organization department in response to user selection of a department sub-category identifier.    
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said second menu of display items includes a plurality of user selectable buttons associated with a corresponding plurality of healthcare provider organization departments and    said set of orderable services associated with said healthcare provider organization department is displayed in response to user selection of a button associated with said healthcare provider organization department.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein 
 said plurality of user selectable buttons corresponding to said plurality of healthcare provider organization departments are sequentially arranged in said second menu in a predetermined sequence.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images comprises a user navigable hierarchical sequence of display images including a first area in a first image for displaying said initial set of services and said added service and    selected services of said initial set of services and said added service are transferred to a second area in said first image in response to a second user command.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein 
 in response to said second user command,    a set of orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department is automatically displayed in said second menu.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein 
 said set of orderable services automatically displayed in said second menu is automatically selected from a plurality of sets of services associated with a predetermined sequence of healthcare provider organization departments based on a current navigation position in said predetermined sequence.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said display processor initiates generation of data representing a single composite display image including, 
 a first area presenting said initial set of services selected based on said first criteria, and  
 a second area presenting said service to add to said initial order set from a set orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce said combined order set.  
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images includes,    image elements enabling a user to add and delete individual services from said initial set of services, and from said set of orderable services associated with said healthcare provider organization department, to produce said combined order set.    
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images includes,    an image element enabling a user to add and delete a collection of individual services associated with a particular department from said combined order set.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images includes,    image elements enabling a user to select for display at least one of, (a) all orders for services and (b) common orders excluding less commonly ordered services, in at least one of said first menu and said second menu.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said first menu presents predetermined candidate sets of services, categorized by at least one of, (a) medical specialty, (b) medical illness, (c) medical procedure, (d) service type and (e) a user selected category.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said first criteria comprise at least one of, (a) patient specific criteria, (b) a user selection, (c) a user preference and (d) a prediction derived automatically by a prediction processor based on patient specific criteria and historical treatment data and treatment outcome information.    
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images comprises a user navigable hierarchical sequence of display images including an area in an image for displaying a message to a user in response to selection of said produced combined order set, said message comprising at least one of, (a) an alert, (b) a rule, (c) an instruction, (d) a reminder and (e) information, associated with employing said services of said combined order set.    
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , including 
 a message processor for using patient specific criteria in determining information to be provided in said message, said information comprising at least one of, (a) a medication dose, (b) a medication interaction warning, (c) a patient specific means to apply a treatment and (d) patient specific care unit resources required.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 8 , including 
 said first criteria comprise patient specific criteria including at least one of, (a) height, (b) weight, (c) age, (d) a patient illness, (e) medication prescribed for a patient, (f) patient treatments, (g) gender and (h) patient preferences.    
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images includes an area in an image enabling a user to, 
 initiate a search to identify an individual order for a service and  
 add said identified service to said combined order set.  
   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein 
 said area in said image supports user entry of a text string to search by at least one of, (a) text string matching and (b) partial text string matching.    
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein 
 said area in said image comprises a scrollable list of at least one of, (a) candidate individual services and (b) candidate order sets, and said user initiates said search by navigating through said scrollable list.    
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said hierarchical sequence of display images enables a user to identify and select an allergy specific to said patient.    
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said services comprise at least one of, (a) services performed by a healthcare worker for a patient, (b) goods to be used in providing a service to a patient, (c) medication to be administered to a patient, (d) treatment to be provided to a patient and (e) therapy to be provided to a patient.    
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein 
 said initial set of services is displayed in all of said hierarchical sequence of images and    said combined order set is produced by user navigation through said hierarchical sequence of images without requiring backward navigation.    
     
     
         32 . A system for providing a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient, comprising: 
 a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a hierarchical sequence of display images including, 
 a first menu including image elements enabling a user to at least one of, 
 (a) select an initial set of services from predetermined candidate sets of services for inclusion in a set for order, in response to first criteria and  
 (b) initiate generation of a second menu of display items enabling a user to select a service from a set of orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, for inclusion in said set for order; and  
 
   an order processor for initiating ordering of said set for order in response to user command.    
     
     
         33 . In a user interface system supporting a process including a sequence of tasks, a method comprising the activities of: 
 initiating display of a user navigable hierarchical sequence of images including, 
 display items enabling a user to select an initial set of services for order from predetermined candidate sets of services, in response to user selected first criteria, and  
 a plurality of user selectable buttons associated with a corresponding plurality of healthcare provider organization departments enabling a user to select a service to add to said initial order set from a set of orderable services associated with a particular healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined order set; and  
   an order processor for initiating ordering of said orders in said combined order set in response to user command    
     
     
         34 . A method of  claim 33 , wherein 
 in response to adding said service selected from said set of orderable services associated with said particular healthcare provider organization department to said initial order set, 
 automatically displaying an order set associated with a second healthcare provider organization department, said second healthcare provider organization department being sequentially determined based on a predetermined ordering task sequence.  
   
     
     
         35 . A method for providing a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient, comprising the activities of: 
 initiating generation of data representing a user navigable hierarchical sequence of images including, 
 a first menu of display items enabling a user to select an initial set of services for order from predetermined candidate sets of services, and  
 a second menu of display items enabling a user to select a service to add to said initial order set from a set of orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined order set; and  
   initiating ordering of said orders in said combined order set in response to user command.    
     
     
         36 . A method for providing a displayable list of services available for order by a healthcare provider in providing health care to a patient, comprising the activities of: 
 initiating generation of data representing a single composite display image including, 
 a first area presenting data items representing an initial set of services selected based on first criteria,  
 a second area presenting data items representing candidate services to add to said initial set from a set of candidate orderable services associated with a healthcare provider organization department, to produce a combined set, and  
 a third area presenting data items representing orders of said combined set; and  
   initiating ordering of said orders in said combined set in response to user command.    
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein 
 said single composite display image includes an area enabling a user to initiate a search to identify an individual order for a service.